Heroes sometimes lose. It's pretty common and, with a few exceptions, it's the general rule of fiction to the point of being a near Omnipresent Trope. That said, losing in Acts 1 and 2 doesn't mean a hero won't beat the villain in Act 3; this is a good way of establishing conflict and drama while keeping them far away from being a Butt Monkey. Expanding this, a hero may well consistently win but [...] [tvtropes.org]